Speech coach gains Diamond rating

This year, the National Speech and Debate Association has awarded Campos-Davis with the Diamond Coach Award, recognizing a professional career that combines excellence and longevity in speech and debate education.

It comes in the year that Campos-Davis prepares to step down after six years guiding the program. She competed in speech and debate at Mountain View and at Whitworth College, and will have seen her three sons through the HRVHS program.

When her oldest, Lucas, who graduated in 2015, started in the program, there was no one to take it on, so she signed on as adviser and added substitute teacher qualifications.

Gabriel, class of 2018, came next, and Mateo, class of 2020, has been on the team all four years at HRVHS.

“It’s a great opportunity waiting for someone who wants to make a difference in kids’ lives,” Campos-Davis said. “My goal has always been not just to make the students not just better speakers but better human beings.

“It was so much fun to see students express themselves in their own way, each in different ways along the spectrum, and to get to be along for the ride,” Campos-Davis said.

She added that it was other coaches around the state who greatly enriched her own experience as coach.

“The coaching community around the state is so supportive of each other,” she said. She has colleagues who were coaching in Oregon when she was in high school.

Coaches earn points in the national honorary through team participation, student achievement, public service, and leadership work. To earn a Diamond Award, a coach must be a member of the National Speech and Debate Association for at least five years. A coach who attains 15,000 points is awarded a first Diamond; they receive a second Diamond for 30,000 points, a third for 45,000 points, and so on. Five years must pass between each Diamond Award.

“Our Diamond Award winners provide access to the life changing benefits of speech and debate for thousands of students,” said National Speech and Debate Executive Director J. Scott Wunn. “We are proud to recognize these educators for their service, and thank them for their hard work.”

All Diamond Award winners will be recognized at the world’s largest academic competition, the National Speech & Debate Tournament, in Albuquerque, N.M., in June.